Work In Progress - November 14, 2022

Work In Progress Newsletter | Edition 26 | November 14, 2022

WRITE THIS WAY…

Greetings and welcome to a very special Liberation edition of the Work In Progress newsletter! I’m Ryan McCrary, your analyst of awesome. This newsletter was made possible primarily because my Power Ball numbers did not hit once again, despite favorable early polling.?

For the last 26 weeks and counting I’ve been scouring the news, interwebs and the occasional fax machine to share stories of hope and joy and triumph. These messages of inspiration and hope have been properly “cured”, double checked and now, with all precincts finally reporting, away we go!

LIBERATION!

Growing up I watched World War II movies with my grandpa, who served in the South Pacific as a Marine chief in the Seabees. One of the elements of these movies that I remember more than any other are the scenes of cheering people as the Allies marched into town liberating cities from Nazi oppression. One of the most memorable interviews I’ve done to date featured someone who was in Paris when the Allied Armies restored the French capital in 1944. The recollection brought tears to her eyes.

Late last week, the Ukrainian Army liberated the crucial port city of Kherson from the brutality of the Russian occupation and the images and video are some of the most powerful messages of hope I can imagine. There are so many moments to share, but this video of a soldier reuniting with his grandmother brought tears to my eyes.?

THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY

An aspiring young Ukrainian footballer, whose family relocated in Scotland after fleeing the Russian invasion, has just signed with Dundee United… Meet 12-year old Stanisalv “Stas” Drabych who dazzled during a tryout after his teacher discovered he had skills on the pitch… A TikTok of an 81-year old worker in a Walmart break room generated $175,000 to pay off her mortgage and allow her to retire… Meet Devan Bonagura who shared the story of an employee named Nola in a viral video… Hockey Hall-of-Famer B?rje Salming returned to Toronto from his native Sweden to attend induction ceremonies for three of his countrymen… Struggling with a relentless battle against ALS, Salming received an amazing reception from the Maple Leafs… ?Representing Florida… and Gen Z… Maxwell Frost made history when he won election to the US House of Representatives from Florida’s 10th District… The 25-year old ran to ensure young people have a seat at the table… Veteran NBA referee Derek Richardson took his work in the community to a new level recently, purchasing a school in Inglewood, Calif. and renaming it for his mom, Dolores T. Richardson, who he called “the most important teacher throughout my life”.

GOOD NEWS ONLY UPDATE: Last week we shared the story of Kentucky coal miner Michael McGuire and his family. Coach Calipari and Kentucky Basketball gave the family a Big Blue Nation reception Friday at Rupp Arena.?

VETERANS DAY

Talk about playing on the (very) big stage. No. 2 Gonzaga played Michigan State in a memorable Veterans Day basketball game aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln anchored off the shore of Coronado Island. All coaches and players embraced the moment and reflected on the deeper meaning of those who serve and served in uniform.

BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM LAST WEEK

Now I know why there was a shortage of TP during the early pandemic → WATCH

BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER LAST WEEK

You may have read that the new owner of Twitter is going through some things and fake profiles masquerading as some of your favorite brands have thrived. One of the best…? → ?CLICK

LIVES LIVED

Longtime sportscaster Fred Hickman passed away last Wednesday at the age of 66 after battling liver cancer. Hickman was one of the first stars when CNN launched in 1980 and co-anchored “CNN Sports Tonight” with Nick Charles - an early rival to SportsCenter - before stints at YES Network, ESPN and Fox. While I was in college, Sports Tonight was destination television for me and I spent plenty of time in the Gonzaga Student Union (for those under 30 this will make almost no sense whatsoever) waiting for Sports Tonight to air. Remarkably sharp, witty and engaging he made sports accessible to a national audience. CNN Tribute → HERE??

OTD - NOVEMBER 14

Enjoy another memorable edition of On This Date…?

Notable Historical Moments… The Niagara Falls hydroelectric power plant began operation in 1896… Every hairstylist’s worst nightmare, Albert Einstein presented his “Quantum Theory of Light” in 1908... Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind” reached No. 1 today in 1960… The first public trains ran through the Channel Tunnel or “Chunnel” linking England to France underneath the English Channel in 1994.?

Bonus Famous Marriage AND Breakup… A secret marriage which saw the Church of England divorce the Catholic Church, King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn in 1532.

Famous Deaths… Leading intellectual and education pioneer Booker T. Washington (1856-1915).?

Famous Birthdays… Now this guy knew how to make an impression… Claude Monet (1840-1926)... Steamboat inventor Robert Fulton (1765-1815).?

Around the World in 80 Days (or less): New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) tried to beat the record of Jules Verne character Phileas Fogg completing the journey in 72 days, six hours… without Travelocity or booking fees! ? ? ?

Bonus Ray Charles Quote: “Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy.”

WHAT I’M READING NOW

For Improvement: The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins

**One sentence review: One of the most practical approaches to self care I have ever read… relatable and applicable.??

Embracing my inner history nerd: The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam

**One sentence review: “One of the most compelling authors of our time immerses the reader in America’s most forgotten, misunderstood and brutal wars.”

For an Escape: The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

**One sentence review: “Travis Devine left his high stress job as an Army Ranger in Iraq for life as a junior investment banker in a firm with dozens of secrets below the surface.

WHAT I WATCHED

I went to see the latest Marvel movie and thoroughly enjoyed Wakanda Forever. It was pretty amazing and visually stunning. A word of caution: clocking at 2:41 I would advise a large popcorn and a small drink.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO AS I WRITE

The cast of the Broadway Musical Lion King continued its 25th anniversary with a visit to the NPR offices where it put on a Tiny Desk Concert. Let the humming commence!

CLIP OF THE WEEK

While reading Dan Rather’s excellent “Steady” newsletter the broadcasting legend shared this amazing clip of Bill Withers’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Stevie Wonder and John Legend joined Withers in a powerful rendition of Lean on Me → WATCH

MY GIF TO YOU

That feeling when you reach the newsletter credits → WATCH

QUOTABLE

“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.”

Sir Winston Churchill, Statesman

THIS WAY OUT

Thanks for reading the latest edition of my Work In Progress newsletter. My goal is to spread inspiration and hope in a world that needs both more than ever. My goal is to release these newsletters each Monday - because who doesn’t need a shot of good news to start the work week? Look for a new article on my timeline later this week. Special thanks to Kim Kaupe and Terry Rice for encouraging me to launch this into the universe. As always, feedback is welcomed!?